Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said today that one of nature’s giants has washed up dead on a popular local nature reserve.
The minke whale which was reported on the Humber side of Spurn Point earlier today appears to have suffered serious trauma to its side and head. Biopsies will later today confirm the cause of death. Minke whales are encountered throughout the year in the North Sea, both from land and on ships.
This stranding continues to mark a trial of sad endings for the North Sea’s marine mammals, following on from the stranded sperm whale found at Skegness last month and the sei and fin Whales found in the Humber last Autumn.
Kirsten Smith, The Living Seas Manager for the North Sea Wildlife Trusts said: ‘We are deeply saddened to again hear another of our mammals has met such a shocking end. We hope through a new partnership with the charity MARINElife, to help a greater understanding of the marine mammals found within the North Sea and the risks they face.
This partnership will see The Wildlife Trusts along the length of the East Coast work with MARINElife and volunteers to record sightings of marine mammals both from the land and at sea. We hope by building a better picture of how and where these creatures occur we can help to understand how best to protect them in the future’
The Wildlife Trusts’ vision for Living Seas is one that holds Marine Protected Areas at its heart. We aim to see wildlife protected throughout our seas giving it the opportunity to thrive and recover from past decline. We need your help to do this, show your support for your local marine wildlife by adding your name to our petition fish campaign www.wildlifetrusts.org/petitionfish today and saying yes to Marine Protected Areas.